We are pleasure seekers. It goes against our grain to accept life’s hardships. “Life is difficult” is the first sentence in M. Scott Peck’s book The Road Less Traveled. It is a principle we may know, but we resist with everything in our power.

I certainly don’t understand why we must suffer to experience the ‘release of the spirit.’ In this little book, Nee makes it clear. I discovered it at a time when I was being broken. A life-altering divorce tore the fibers of my being into shreds.

Since you are reading this, I expect that you either are experiencing such pain or you have in the past. I hope you will gain as much from this book as I did.

According to Nee, we have an inward man and an outward man.

“We must never forget that our innermost man is the human spirit where God dwells, where His Spirit mingles with our spirit.”

A seed kept safe and never planted remains alone and useless, but when buried (dies), it transforms and multiplies from John 12 is the main point of this book.

“Should the outward remain unbroken, the inward would never be able to come forth.”

According to Nee, you can be broken gradually or suddenly.

“It id thr Dpirit which quickens. Man can be brought into life only by the Spirit.”

“Our spirit is given to us by God to enable us to respond to Him.”

“The basic lesson we must learn is to be transformed into a vessel fit for the Master’s use.”

There is much more I could share from this little book. It is a powerful life lesson. I will close with this,

“Lord, I am prone to mistakes . . . This is the beginning of the destruction of the outward man, when you dare no longer to trust yourself.”

If you would like your own copy, I have three waiting on my shelf. Come by, and one is yours.

Nee’s little book, The Release of the Spirit, had a major influence on me. I will share thoughts from it on this and the following blogs. I wish I could recall how this book came to me. It was a very long time ago. I keep copies on my shelf to give to others as the need presents itself.

Let me say at the onset that I’m a lifelong learner and have read and studied many Christian authors. I listened to numerous podcasts, and I’m not afraid of asking the hard questions. What I say here is not without serious consideration and over 70 years of life in and out of the church. I respect all thinking people and their varied beliefs. The thoughts I share are mine.

The following diagram will help to clarify Nee’s terminology in this book.

“. . .The spirit through the soul would use the body as the means of expressing God’s life and purpose.”

The next entry in this series will be posted in about two weeks.

---

I raised three children as a single mother before I remarried. I have experienced the potholes, pests, and perils of being the sole head of household. I was an educator in both regular and special education for twenty years. I am the founder of Single Moms EmpowerEd, a nonprofit organization that supports single mothers pursuing degrees that lead to employment. I’m also a Certified Professional Coach, and my stories have been published in several books and magazines. My book, Living, Learning, Loving, is available on Barnes & Noble and Amazon.